The present invention relates generally to an electric generator, more particularly to a hybrid electric generator.
For nearly 100 years electric power has been typically produced by generators in electric power plants. These generators are verb massive and require the construction of large facilities to operate. The technology to drive these generators is as old as the electric generator itself. It relies on the expenditure of huge amount of expensive polluting and environmentally disruptive nonrenewable resources such as: hydroelectric power, fossil fuel and nuclear energy. Hydroelectric power plants require building of massive dams on rivers, that are proven to be disruptive to flora and fauna habitat and cause ecological imbalances dial have disastrous effects on the eco system. Using fossil fuels such as coal, petroleum and natural gas, power plants pollute air and produce greenhouse effect gases, which are the cause of multitude human diseases, ecological accidents and catastrophic environmental problems. The struggle to control and secure the fossil fuels energy resources has been the cause of numerous social, political, economic and war upheavals throughout the 20th century. Power plants utilizing nuclear fuels produce harmful radioactive wastes. Nuclear waste storage is one of the major problems facing us today. Its effect on the environment of the future is not known yet, but most experts forecast dire consequences. Other means of producing electric power are by small portable or mobile generators. These are driven by internal combustion engines. The operation of these engines depends on valuable resources of fossil fuels that produce air pollution.
An advantage of the present invention is that it generates electrical power economically and without producing environmental hazards. It utilizes non-combustible clean and free high-pressure compressed air to generate valuable electrical energy. Another advantage is the portability of the system of the present invention. It is transportable electrical energy that will electrically power motorized automobiles, crafts and various machinery. Most importantly and unlike batter charged systems, high-pressure air, compressed by high-speed compressor into a storage tank, will operate large electric generators in the megawatt range.
Accordingly, the invention provides in a first aspect a hybrid electric power generator, comprising:
a) air compression means having an air outlet connected to a storage tank storing compressed air;
b) a hydraulic system comprising a fluid reservoir, a pneumatically driven fluid pump having an air inlet connected to said storage tank air outlet and a fluid outlet connected to said fluid reservoir, a hydraulic motor having a fluid inlet connected to the fluid outlet of said fluid reservoir and having a fluid outlet connected to said pneumatically driven fluid pump fluid inlet, said hydraulic motor having a rotating drive shaft;
c) an electric generator rotatably driven by said hydraulic motor having electrical output leads, one of the leads is connected to the electrical input of said air compression means.
Preferably, the hybrid power generator further comprises an electrical regulator and wherein said electric generator is a direct current electric generator or an alternating current electric motor.
According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a hybrid method for generating electric power comprising:
a) air compression means having an air outlet connected to a storage tank storing compressed air;
b) a hydraulic system comprising a fluid reservoir, a pneumatically driven fluid pump having ail air inlet connected to said storage tank air outlet and a fluid outlet connected to said fluid reservoir, a hydraulic motor having a fluid inlet connected to the fluid outlet of said fluid reservoir and having a fluid outlet connected to said pneumatically driven fluid pump fluid inlet, said hydraulic motor having a rotating drive shaft;
c) an electric generator rotatable driven by said hydraulic motor having electrical output leads, one of the leads is connected to the electrical input of said air compression means.